When I Foreverly Leave
by SunInHerSmile
Summary: The past she thought wanted nothing to do with her has come back. How will all of it fit in with the present she is living in? Sailor Moon & Batman Begins Crossover
1. Leaving on a jet plane

I left them all five years ago; my family, my friends, and my destiny. Why stay when I was not wanted, not appreciated, ignored and looked down upon for my faults. I tried to improve, I really did! I tried to meet their standards, but… it was impossible.

Perhaps I was never meant to meet them; maybe I was supposed to be imperfect in this life and they were to substitute for what I lacked. Maybe this was all a great big test that we failed is spectacular fashion.

Because we did fail it. The moment I was cast aside, even if it was done in the heat of the moment by the Scouts and might have been half-hearted, the entire past and future we were living for ceased to be. All the monsters we were fighting, the evil we were trying to save all mankind from, vanished.

I remember how angry they all were that I laid down my sword, so to speak. I never understood how exactly that was my fault, considering that they were the ones that told me to do so. Regardless, it was in that moment that I knew leaving Azabu Juuban was what I needed to do.

So I did.

At the age of 19 I left home in the dead of night with a suitcase of clothing, a backpack full of personal products, and $5,000 in my wallet. I left behind two letters, one to my parents and brother, explaining all to them, and the other to the Ex-Scouts and Darien. Theirs consisted of a poem, a poem I had found one night on the internet and that had stuck with me for ages.

_When I foreverly leave _

_with no notice of you _

_or no farewell of me _

_you will know what the longing is _

_for my staying_

_You have to devote for the deservings _

_not for the nonsense _

_So I leave _

_with no notice of you with _

_no farewell of me _

_**Babette Teeth**_

Getting on that plane to America was the hardest part of all of it. It made the finality of everything truly sink in. I really have no clue why I came here when I left. Truly, it isn't the best place to start over, but for some reason I felt drawn to this place and that is why I bought the one-way ticket here.

That ticket was the best purchase of my life.

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Where is Serena now and what is she doing with her life? The story starts to unfold in the next chapter with the introduction of a new city and a new man in her life. 


	2. I'm gonna meet you

**Well, everyone liked this chapter the best, so it is now chapter two! Also, I figured out the "actors" for the Sailor Moon part of the story. Since looks is mentioned in the next chapter, I'll be giving you a picture of my idea ofSerena.**

**Anything in italics is in Japanese**

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The moment I got off the plane in Gotham City, I started to wonder if this was a good idea. I had improved my English since that disastrous experience at the party of Darien's British friend, but I truly wasn't even close to good enough at the language to be living in a country where it was the primary one spoken. I grabbed the "Learn English Now" book I had purchased in the airport before I had boarded the plane and started going over it again. Why I thought I was capable of reading and walking through a crowded airport at the same time, I'll never know. Needless to say, I ran into someone.

My reaction to it was typical. I immediately dropped everything I was holding and reached out for something to keep me from falling to the floor. What I ended up grabbing turned out to be grabbing for me, making sure I didn't fall. I found myself pressed up against a man's chest, staring at a sky blue shirt and tie. Not moving, I looked up and into the brown eyes of a quite handsome man.

"Hello there," He said softly, still looking at me in the eyes.

"Hi," I managed to get out, embarrassed as I was. He broke eye contact with me for a second and took a look around at out resulting mess. Being as observant as he is, he immediately noticed my English book.

_ "Would my speaking Japanese make this situation less awkward for you?"_ He asked me in perfect Japanese. My eyes and face must have shown my relief at hearing someone speak my native tongue, because he immediately smiled. _"I'll take that as a yes"._ I relieved then that I should probably say something, else he might consider me a mute only capable of greetings.

_"Yes, it would be nice for you to speak Japanese, and thank you for grabbing me. I would have ended up sprawled all over the floor, which is not the way I would like to start out here in America," _I told him.

_ "It was no problem at all," _He replied. I wasn't sure if I should say anything about our continued embrace. Quite frankly I was enjoying it too much to let it end. I think he was too, because his arms tightened around me.

_ "My name is Serena Tsukino, just to let you know,"_ Considering the fact we were wrapped up like we were, I figured telling him my name was the least I could do.

_"I'm Bruce Wayne. It's very nice to meet you,"_ He replied. Looking around again at the mess we had made, he reluctantly suggested that we might want to clean it up. Separating, we started to sort out which stuff was which. It was fairly easy, considering my stuff was mostly the things I had needed to get past Customs and a few of the English materials I had bought. His was mostly items that had managed to fall out of his briefcase; pens and paperwork and other stuff like that. As we got situated, we started to talk again.

_ "So what brings you to Gotham? Vacation?"_ He asked me.

_ "Actually, I have decided to relocate here,"_ I told him.

_ "Can I ask why?"  
_

_"Why I'm relocating or why I picked Gotham to relocate to"_

_ "Both, I guess"_

_ "I left Japan because of…"_ I paused for a minute, trying to figure out how to phrase my answer, how to summarize all that had caused me to leave the only home I'd ever known. Finally, I settled on the best answer I could think of. Turning back to look Bruce in the eyes, I saw that he had been watching me the entire time I was thinking. I recognized the look he was giving me as one of concern, tinged with something more. _"I left Japan because of a loss of faith in myself and those around me. And I came to Gotham because I thought that here I might be able to find it again"_

It was understanding that was now in his eyes, and I got the impression that he himself had had an experience like mine. _"Well, I hope Gotham can be what you hope it to be,"_ He told me.

_"I have a feeling that it will,"_ By this point, we had both gotten all our things together, and if it had been just any situation, I would have left, but for some reason I didn't want to. I had a feeling that this was going to be one of my only encounters with someone who spoke Japanese in Gotham. Lucky for me, he didn't want our meeting to end either.

_ "Do you have an idea of where you are going to find a place to stay?"_ I had to admit that I really didn't. In fact, I had no idea what exactly was in Gotham and even if I did, I had no clue how I was going to communicate with the people there. I guess I must had groaned at the realization that I had no clue what to do next, because he immediately became concerned again. _"OK, so I can see what this wasn't an entirely well thought out move,"_ I nodded in agreement with his assessment, _"But don't worry, I am going to help you out and we will get you situated in no time,"_ I was surprised at his offer of help. Sure, there was this… thing between us, but I didn't think that that was enough to have him want to help me. I was just a little suspicious.

_"I know that my offer might be a bit suspect, but you see, I know my city,"_ There seemed to be a change in him when he said this, a change to a more darker attitude, _"And while there are good people here, there are…"_ Here was definitely a darker man. I now know what that look was about, but when I first saw it, I could only chalk it up to the look of someone who hated seeing what their city had become. _"There are people here that would see you and try to take advantage of you, or something else…"_ Now there was pain in his expression, like the idea of that occurring was just agonizing to him. His eyes had been focused somewhere else while he had been saying this, they had looked like he was picturing a distant memory. However, he quickly closed his eyes and shook his head, then refocused back on me.

_ "I couldn't live with myself if I just let that happen, and not having to worry so much about things would be good for you in getting everything back together,"_ I could clearly see that I wasn't going to be able to say no to this, but I wanted to know just what exactly I was going to be getting myself into.

_ "And what kind of help will I be getting?"_ I asked.

_ "Well, you are going to need some place to stay, as well as a job or maybe you might want to go to school… and you are going to have to learn English,"_ He stopped to go over what he said and to, I assume, think of anything else that might be needed. _"I think that covers it for now, and as for what kind of help I can give you, I could set you up in a hotel or you could stay with me"  
_

_"With you?"_

_"Yes. I have more than enough room within my home, and since we just recently rebuilt it, it is in even more excellent condition than before"_

_ "Rebuilt it?"_

_ "There was a fire, burned the manor to the ground. However, I had it rebuilt exactly like it was before"_

_"Manor"_

_"Wayne Manor. It's been my family's home for generations, and it has more than enough room for you,"_ That's when it hit me, why his name had sounded so familiar. One day Darien and Amy had been talking about him. The youngest billionaire in America and the 2nd youngest in the World, he was worth $6.5 billion and owned one of the biggest and oldest companies in the world. He had gone missing for a number of years and was reported to be dead at one point, but then had suddenly reappeared. I think at one point they had discussed jobs with one of subsidiaries of the company.

_"That look on your face is one I typically get when people realize who I am. Should I take it that you are in that position right now?"_ He was smiling again, which, if I haven't already mentioned, looks very good on him.

_"Yes, in fact I am. It also brought up a memory. You see, the first time I heard of you was when one of my friends and my former boyfriend were discussing your return from death,"_ I decided that I shouldn't wallow in the memories of my past. I swallowed the lump in my throat and then quipped, _"Quite a feat that was, Mister Wayne"_

_ "Well, I do try Miss Tsukino. In fact, my goal is to do one incredible feat each year. For my next one, I plan on walking on water,"_ We both laughed for a few seconds before we came back to our original discussion._ "So, are you going to let me help you?"_ As he said that, he stuck his hand out in an offer to take one of my bags. I looked at the outstretched hand, then looked back up at his face. I saw his sincerity and his genuine longing to help me. I had two options at the moment, either I could accept or deny. I could go with this man to his manor and start over again with someone to guide me, or I could go off into the unknown with no clue where to go and completely alone. Making my decision, I took a deep breath, turned around, and grabbed my suitcase.

I then put it in his outstretched hand.


	3. I think a change would do you good

"Master Wayne, are you sure that this is a good idea, considering your... community service?" Alfred asked Bruce as he drove us to Wayne Manor. I was spending most of the trip staring out the window with Bruce every now and then telling me what I was looking at. So far, the most impressive sight I had seen was Wayne Tower, which when I told Bruce that caused him to have a satisfied smirk.

"Alfred, I don't think she will be with us for long and while she is, I'm sure she'll be more concerned with her own affairs to go looking into ours." There was something else to Bruce's reason for letting me stay, and while Alfred with curious about it, he knew that then wasn't the time to be asking questions. I later found out that Bruce was questioned more in depth about it that night in the cave.

_"So how does Gotham look to you so far?"_ Bruce asked me.

_"It looks like what I thought an American city would look like- big and dark"_

_"Well, that is a good way to describe Gotham City,"_ Right around that time we passed a bridge, leading to a place that didn't look the least bit hospitable.

_"What is that area over there, beyond the bridge?"_ I asked, curious at how a place that looked so rundown could exist in a city like this.

_"It's a place called The Narrows. It's very underdeveloped and what is there is mostly rundown. Of all the places in Gotham, it fosters the most crime. It's a haven for the criminal world, where money is so prized that some would throw out all values just to get a few bucks…"_ Like before when he was talking about the downside of Gotham, Bruce underwent a transformation when he talked. The charmer that I had known disappeared, and someone else came out. Someone angry, someone who wanted change, someone willing to fight. But as quickly as it appeared, Bruce realized where he was and who he was talking to and the look with gone.

_"Needless to say, it is not a place I would take someone on the Welcome to Gotham Tour."_ He joked.

_"Do you host that tour often"_

_"Only when my training to walk on water allows."_ Our laughter rang out in the car, and Alfred briefly turned around to look at us.

"It is so unsettling not to be able to know what the people behind you are laughing about." He said.

"I'm sorry Alfred. Maybe this situation will provide you with a reason to learn Japanese in your spare time." Bruce suggested.

"Yes, because I have so much of it Sir"

As was my habit when I had free time, I began to play with my hair. My hair-the source of the nickname I was called in Japan and apparently the hairstyle I would have had in the future. It was then that I realized that I needed to get rid of it, change it from the way it was to something completely different. It was time that I threw "Meatball Head" out the window.

_"I need to cut my hair"_ I blurted out, catching Bruce off guard.

_"Excuse me?"_

_"My hair, I need to cut it. It reminds me too much of things I want to forget."_ I told him.

_"When do you want to do it?"_

_"As soon as possible."_ He nodded his head in response and then turned to Alfred in the front seat.

"Alfred, we need to go to a hair salon."

"Master Wayne, you aren't due for hair cut for another month."

"Not for me Alfred, for Serena. She needs to cut away the past, so to speak."

"Well at that rate, why don't we just get her new clothes too, so she won't be wearing the past."

"What a fine idea Alfred!"

"I was kidding Sir"

"I'm not" Bruce turned back to me. _"What would you think of getting you some new clothes after you get your hair cut?"_

_"Oh, I don't know. I really should be saving my money until I get another source of income."_

_"Don't worry about it, I'll cover the clothing as well as the haircut."_ I didn't know what to say to that. I was shocked! Why was this man offering me these things? And what was he expecting in return? Just my eternal gratitude? This couldn't simply be a man trying to help the poor runaway from getting in with the wrong crowd, unless in Gotham clothing with a determinant in your status as a criminal. Something about this was just not right, even for super-trusting me.

_"Why are you willing to do all this?"_ His confused look spurred me on. _"You're offering me a place to stay at your own home, which on it's own is a lot, but now you are offering to pay for my hair cut and new clothing! You have to see why I am a little suspicious, even with what you said at the airport"_ About half-way though my talking, he had started to nod his head in understanding.

_"I truly can't tell you why I am offering you all of this. It could be I'm just in a very generous mood, or maybe it's a bit of guilt."_

_"Guilt? Why would you have guilt?"_

_"Guilt that I have so much money, or maybe I sympathize with starting over."_

_"This has something to do with your long disappearance, doesn't it?"_

_"Very perceptive of you."_ He said grinning. However, he became serious again quite quickly. _"When I left Gotham many years ago, I went with nothing. I had to... earn what I needed to survive. While that was my intention, I know how hard it was. Now, I see someone in a similar position to my own, and I feel the need to help. Does that make sense?"_ Before I had a chance to reply, the car stopped. I saw Alfred get out of the car and walk to Bruce's side of the car.

_"I do believe that we have arrived at the salon."_ Bruce told me as Alfred was walking and opening the door. He proceeded to exit the car and then Alfred put a hand in to help me out.

"Thank you" I told Alfred in my terrible English.

"You are very welcome Miss" He replied smiling. Turning around, I saw that Bruce was smiling as well.

_"So you know a bit of English! That's very good, you won't have as hard of a time learning."_ He said to me as we walked into the salon. As soon as the people saw Bruce come in, they swarmed around us.

"Mister Wayne, how lovely it is to see you! What is it that you are needing from us today?" A man who I assumed to be the owner asked as he greeted Bruce.

"It's good to see you too Kevin. And it actually isn't me that is needing your assistance, but my friend here." All eyes immediately turned to me as Bruce gestured towards me.

"Well, well, well, isn't she pretty, and with such nice long hair." The man walked over to me. He put his hand out and touched my hair. "And it's so soft too. I'm guessing you are going to want to cut it off, aren't you?" He looked at me for an answer.

"She doesn't speak English, I'll be translating for her. She just moved here from Japan, and is wanting a new hairstyle for a new country." Bruce explained.

"Well that is fantastic! Some many possibilities with so many hairs" The man exclaimed. Immediately he started asking Bruce questions to ask me, and after a 5 minute process, we managed to get an idea as to what to do with my hair. It took about hour for Kevin and his team to fix everything, but I have to say that the finished product was amazing. Bruce managed to convince me to let him pay for it, but I did manage to get him to delay the planned shopping expedition. All in all, I left the salon feeling like I had rid myself of a huge chunk of my past. It truly was an amazing feeling.

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**So I promised you all my vision of Serena, didn't I? Well, OK, as I am a person who delievers, here is what I picture Serena to look like as she is leaving the salon, minus the outfit.**

**i28 .photo bucket .com/ albums/ c237/ WhenI Foreverly/ HollywoodAwards-0102. jpg**

**Remove the spaces after you cut and paste**

**As always, please tell me what you think. Even if it is really bad and you make me cry, I still want to hear it. I am really still trying to get a hold of Bruce's character, so it will be awhile before he is anywhere close to perfect.**


	4. Movin' on up

** Before you read this chapter, make sure you read the correct Chapter Three. After I had you guys pick which Chapter Two you liked better, I posted a new chapter. So just double-check that you read the right Three.**_

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_

_"This is a big house"_ That was all I was capable of saying as I stood in the driveway of Wayne Manor, having just gotten out of the car. _"It is just... really big"_

_"Wait until you see the inside"_ Bruce forewarned me as he ushered me up the steps leading to the front doors, which Alfred was holding open. Once inside, I was again shocked silent by the size and the decadence of the house. Although it still wasn't completely furnished, most of the decorative pieces had yet to be purchased, just the functional pieces were enough to give the manor a rich air. It was easy to see that this was a new home. Just the way it gleamed was enough of a tip off, it had a sheen that no amount of cleaning could restore. But this newness couldn't hold my attention for long, and I soon became interested in a painting hanging at the top of the stairs in the foyer. Slightly burnt, it was still easy to see the three subjects, a man, woman, and boy. I could only assume that it was Bruce and his parents.

_"Who is that in the painting?"_ I inquired. Bruce glanced up to the painting I was studying and looked at it for a moment.

_"That would be myself and my parents. It was painted when I was about eight, right before they were murdered."_ He glanced down at his feet for brief moment before looking back up at me. _"I'm just glad that Alfred put it into a flame resistant frame just a few days before the fire, although it did get damaged a bit"  
_

_"They make flame resistant frames?"_ I decided that the topic of his parents might not be the best to talk about at the moment, so I steered the conversation away from it.

_"Not really"_

_"So it wasn't a flame resistant frame"_

_"Oh no, it was."_ Now I was just really confused, and it must have shown on my face. _"The frame was a prototype made by the scientists at Wayne Industries some years back. It wasn't put into mass production because it was to costly to make and the price for the consumer would be to high."_ Bruce explained to me patiently.

_"How did you get it?"_ A sly grin spread across his handsome face at my question and for a moment all thoughts in my brain just stopped. This guy was too good-looking, something I never thought I would say about a man.

_"I borrowed it"_ He said with amusement before he started to walk up the staircase with my suitcase in hand.

_"I hope they didn't want it back."_ I muttered as I followed behind Bruce up the stairs. Looking around, I continued to be amazed by the house. So wrapped up in looking, I almost missed turning down a hallway to our left. It was a rather long hallway, painted a golden hue instead of covered in marble like the foyer. At the end of it were two maple double doors with golden handles.

_"Here we are,"_ Bruce said, stopping in front of a door, _"this is going to be your room."_ Pushing the door open, he allowed me to enter first. Immediately, I was in awe. The walls were this greenish color with what appeared to be some brown in it. There was a white trim around the top that went onto the white ceiling, so the room seemed to mesh together. Two big white windows were along the back wall with light brown drapes pulled back next to them. The bed was done up in golden bedding, and had a drapery headboard. Two chairs and a table provided a sitting area that highlighted two doors.

_"This one leads to your bathroom, the other to a walk-in closet."_ Bruce pointed to each one as he gave the brief summery to where they led. I walked over to the door he said went to the bathroom and opened it to take a quick look at the facility. The bathroom was just as beautiful as the bedroom. It was down up in crème paint and marble, with a full tub as well as a glass shower. There was a toilet, of coarse, as well as a vanity with a sink. Shaking my head, I closed the door and turned to Bruce.

_"Are you sure you want me to stay in here?"_ I asked.

_"Why wouldn't I?" _Bruce responded.

_"It's just so…grand. Too grand for me"_ Bruce just gave me a smile as he put down my suitcase and went to the door leading back to the hallway.

_"Why don't I leave you to unpacking your things,"_ He opened the door as he continued, _"I'll be down in my study, which is just off the foyer on the right."_ He walked out of the room and started to close the door, but before it closed completely, he made one last remark. _"By the way, nothing is too grand for you."_

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Sorry this chapter is so short, but I hope I have something that might make up for it. If you go to my profile and click over to my homepage, you'll find a livejournal I made for the story. I plan things things like pictures and other things to help you feel like you are inside the story. Right now, you'll find at the journal pictures of Serena's bedroom and bathroom at Wayne Manor, as well as a character guide. It gives the characters that I plan on using in the story, as well as how I am picturing them. So go over and take a look. 


	5. You love, you learn

**I hope everyone enjoyed the last chapter and I hope everyone went over to my profile and took a look at the homepage link. I really want to know what you think of my picks for how the characters look. And I am going to need a little bit of audience participation that can only happen if you take a look at the journal, but I'll tell you about that at the end of the chapter. Anyway, here is the next chapter!**

**The poem Serena is reading is Because She Would Ask Me Why I Loved Her by Christopher Brennan.**

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"…For who is there that lives and knows  
The secret powers by which he grows?  
Were knowledge all, what were our need  
To thrill and faint and sweetly bleed?  
Then seek not, sweet, the "If" and "Why"  
I love you now until I die.  
For I must love because I live  
And life in me is what you give." Looking up from the book I was reading aloud from, I saw the smile Bruce was giving me. 

"Did I read it right?" I asked him nervously. Even though we had been working on my English for three months at that point, I still wasn't a pro. I constantly worried if I was saying something right or not.

"It was perfect Serena. Not a single word wrong." Bruce reassured me while again flashing me a smile.

"The only reason it is perfect is because you taught me perfectly." I told him sincerely.

Bruce chuckled lightly as he said, "I am so glad I taught you about compliments." I laughed with him until we heard the knock at the door. We were holed away in Bruce's private study, the place we always were during my twice daily, hour long each English lessons. "Come on in Alfred."

Alfred opened the door and walked in, carrying a small envelope in his hand. I assumed it was an invitation of some sort, since it was the typical invitation size envelope. He came over to the table we were sitting at and passed the envelope to Bruce.

"This came for you by messenger a few moments ago Master Wayne. They said it was from Mr. And Mrs. Delane, I assume it has something to do with their upcoming wedding anniversary." Alfred was saying as Bruce opened the envelope and read the piece of paper it contained.

"You're right Alfred, it's an invitation to a gala celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary this Saturday. It says I should bring a guest." Bruce shook his head as he offhandedly threw the invite on the table. "Doesn't matter, I don't have the time to attend."

"And what exactly is keeping you from going Master Wayne?" Alfred asked with a certain edge to his voice. Bruce looked over at him and sort of glared.

"I have a pressing engagement that evening Alfred, as you are well aware." I could tell this was going to be one of those discussions were it sounds like they were talking about one thing, but in all actuality they were talking about another. They had had a number of those in the three months I had stayed at Wayne Manor.

"I'm sure that you could postpone it in order to attend the Delane Gala. After all, you haven't been out much in the past months in an official capacity." Alfred said. The look Bruce was giving him was one of annoyance, and I really wanted to leave the room at the moment. I couldn't do so, however, because I had gotten the feeling that they had forgotten I was there, and getting up would bring unwanted attention my way. So I simply shrunk lower in my seat and picked up the book I had been reading from and placed it right in front of my face.

"Alfred, I'm not sure postponing it is a good idea, there are too many things going on at the moment that might go wrong if I don't go."

"And they all might ended if you don't end the speculation over what you do when you aren't at Wayne Manor." I heard Bruce sigh as he resigned to the fact that he would have to attend the Delane's gala.

"You're right Alfred, as always… Now, I just have to find myself a date."

"Master Wayne, I don't think that will be too hard." It grew silent and I wondered what the two of them were doing. Easing the book down a bit, I looked over the top. I was met with the stares of both Bruce and Alfred, and I realized what Alfred had meant when he said that finding a date wouldn't be hard.

Putting the book down, I immediately started shaking my head. "No, not me." I told them firmly.

"Why not Miss Serena? It would be an excellent opportunity for you to get to know other people here in Gotham, and practice your English." Alfred said as he tried to convince me to go.

"He's right Serena," Bruce butted in, "You couldn't ask for a better situation to practice." By the looks on their faces, I could tell that I was going to end up going to that gala, but I couldn't help but throw out one last attempt to save myself.

"But I have nothing to wear." I told them. Bruce and Alfred simply smiled.

"That is a situation easily remedied." Bruce told me, and I saw that that shopping trip I had managed to escape when I first met Bruce was going to occur.

_"But I don't want to go."_ I complained, finding it easier and more satisfying to do so in my native tongue. The amused look feel off Bruce's face and one of remorse came on.

_"Oh Serena, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have pushed you into it. If you really don't want to go, I'll just get Alfred to invite one of those European socialites I know to go with me._

_"NO!" _I protested strongly, surprising Bruce, Alfred, and Myself. Why I yelled out so loudly I didn't know, but I was aware that the idea of Bruce going to that gala with anyone but me filled me with so much jealousy. "_I mean…" _I stopped myself, realizing that I should probably speak in English so that Alfred could understand me. He was most likely wondering what had made me yell. "I would be happy to attend the party with you." I said.

Bruce and Alfred shared a look of confusion over my sudden change of heart, and then looked at me skeptically.

"Are you sure?" Bruce asked me.

"Yes, I am. I was just nervous at first, but the more I think about it, the more I agree that it would be a good opportunity for me." I explained to them.

Bruce stared at me intently for a moment, trying to gauge my level of sincerity. He must have been satisfied with what he saw, because a small smile crossed his face. "Alfred, see if you can get someone to come out here with some dresses for Serena to look at."

"And how soon should I have them arrive, Master Wayne?" Alfred asked.

"As soon as possible. After all, it's Wednesday, and there is no telling how long Serena is going to need to get ready." Bruce was smiling as he teased me about the time I took to get ready for things. I was never going to live down the two hours it took me to get ready the night Bruce invited Lucius Fox over for dinner. I was about to respond to Bruce's tease when a strong surge of nausea came over me. I must have grew pale, because Bruce and Alfred were next to me in a minute.

"Miss Serena, are you feeling alright?" Alfred asked me.

_"I think I'm going to be sick."_ I managed to get out weakly. As soon as I said it, Bruce helped me up and whisked me off to the study's bathroom, where I promptly lost my breakfast. _"I don't feel good."_ I moaned as leaned back against the wall of the bathroom.

"Alfred, would you get her room ready. I have a feeling a bucket or two will be needed."

"Right away, Master Wayne." Alfred quickly left the bathroom and Bruce leaned down and presses a wet washcloth to my face.

_"Does that feel any better?" _Bruce questioned. I simply nodded my head is response. _"Good, good. Now, do you think that you are finished for now, or do you need to stay down here for now?"_

_"I think I can go back to my room."_ I told him. He helped me up and we made our way to my room. Alfred was up there when we got there, and they both helped me into bed. For the rest of the day, I stayed in bed, sleeping and using the bucket. Off and on, both Bruce and Alfred came up to visit me, and even tried to get me to eat something.

It was around two o'clock in the morning when my nausea finally abated and I felt the need to go down to the kitchen to get something to eat. I quietly made my way out of room and down the stairs. When I got to the kitchen door, I saw a light was on and I heard the voices of Alfred and Bruce.

"Master Wayne, how much longer do you expect Miss Serena to be staying with us?" I heard Alfred ask, the shuffle of tea cups accompanying his voice.

"If I had my way, she'd never leave." I almost gasped out loud at Bruce's answer, but managed to contain it in order to keep the fact I was eavesdropping hidden.

"I assumed you would say that."

"And why is that Alfred?"

"Because you're in love with her, Master Wayne." I had to keep myself from passing out at that point. Bruce wasn't in love with me, and I knew he was going to deny it to Alfred. But the denial I expected never came, and what I heard was simply Bruce sighing.

"How did this happen Alfred? After Rachel, I promised myself I would never put myself in a position to face rejection…" The pain in Bruce's voice was evident, and I had the overwhelming need to go into that kitchen and comfort him.

"Mater Wayne, I don't believe you'll be facing rejection, Miss Serena feels the same way about you." And at that moment I knew Alfred was right. The feelings I had had for Bruce were ones I had chalked up to gratitude for all he'd done for me, but gratitude was only the tip of the ice berg. So many more emotions were hidden under the ocean, but I knew that they all came together to equal love.

"She doesn't love me Alfred." Bruce said dismissingly. "She is just grateful for all I've done for her. What you are confusing for love is simply admiration."

"Master Wayne, with all due respect, I have been alive a great deal longer than you, and experienced a great deal more than you, and I can tell you with absolute certainty that Miss Serena is in love with you." There was a silence in the room for a moment, and I began to wonder if maybe they were just talking so low that I couldn't hear them. But that idea was dismissed when Bruce began to talk again.

"Maybe you're right…" Bruce started, but what quickly cut off by Alfred.

"Maybe Sir? I'll have you know that I'm always right." Alfred said quite seriously before the sound of both of them laughing filled the air. I smiled at the relationship the two had, for a long while they were all each other had, and everyday I was thankful that they had let me in. Before long, the laughter trickled out and Alfred started to speak again.

"You are, however, going to need to tell her about…" Alfred began.

"I know, I know…" Bruce sighed again, "I just don't know how to tell her." I knew that this was the point that I needed to make my presence known. Although I would have loved to known the secret Bruce and Alfred had been keeping, I didn't want to find out like this. As it was, I had already heard too much. Turning around, I crept about half-way back up the stairs and then walked down in away that I knew would announce my immediate arrival.

Walking into the kitchen, the two of the turned to take a look at me.

"Miss Serena, how are you feeling?" Alfred asked me as he moved to pull out one of the stools for me to sit on.

_"_I am feeling much better Alfred." I reassured both of them. "But I am hungry, just please do not give me anything with eggs in it, unless you want a repeat performance of this morning." I said jokingly.

"I think it's best to avoid that." Alfred bantered back as he began to fix me a plate of food.

_"Are you really feeling better?" _Bruce asked me.

_"Yes, I really am." _I told him with force behind it so he knew that I was serious. _"But I would like to thank you,"_ I moved my hand from where it was resting in my lap and put it on top of Bruce's that was on the counter. "_I really appreciate how you and Alfred took care of my today."_ While I had been saying this, Bruce and I had locked eyes, and this time I saw the love in his eyes. I could only hope that my eyes reflected mine. Before anything else could happen, Alfred put a plate of food in front of me, along with a glass of something green.

"That looks like what I threw up this morning." I said as I pointed to the glass.

"I can assure you that that is not what you threw up." Alfred told me firmly. "It is an old family remedy that helps you recover from a bought of nausea."

_"Is he sure that it doesn't induce it?"_ I asked Bruce. All I got in response was full on laughter. Alfred simply looked between the two of us and shook his head.

"If you two are going to continue to use Japanese as your secret code language, I'm afraid I'm going to need to learn it."

"It might help." I told him in between laughs.

* * *

**So, what do you think? Is Bruce a bit more in character? Does it seem that Serena learned English too fast? Let me know.**

**Now, as for that audience participation thing. I'm going to let all of you pick the dress Serena is going to wear to the Delane's gala. I posted options over at the livejournal, so why don't you guys go on over and take a look? I'll post more stuff over there as the story progresses.**


	6. Come on and tell me you're in love

**I had a change I needed to make to this chapter. It doesn't change the plot of the story in any way, it just needed to be changed to fit the characters. Anyway, I hope you guys took a look at the pictures over at the journal. If you did, please tell me what you think, I'm dying to know.**

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The knocking on my door woke me up the next morning. Looking over at the clock, I saw that it was almost an hour later then I normally woke up. 

"Miss Serena, are you awake?" The voice of Alfred sounded through the door.

"_I am now!" _I yelled back, realizing too late that I was speaking in Japanese. "Sorry, I said I am now!" I yelled again.

"I had a feeling what you said was to that effect." Alfred replied as I opened the door.

"Can I ask why you have come to my door to wake me up?" I asked Alfred as I walked away from the open door and to my walk-in closet where all my clothes were.

"The stylist Master Bruce had me call is coming this afternoon, and Master Bruce wanted to get in a lesson before they arrived, and we couldn't very well have you sleeping the day away, now could we?" While Alfred was talking, I had pulled out a pair of jeans and a button down shirt. Taking off my PJs, I called out in response to Alfred.

"Well, I guess that is a good reason to wake me up." I told him

"I thought it would be." He answered. "Now, I will leave you to continue dressing."

"Thank you Alfred!" I yelled out as I heard the door close. Stepping out of my closet with my shirt unbuttoned, I walked over to my bathroom and washed my face. Dabbing on some moisturizer with sunscreen, I began to consider what I wanted to wear Saturday night. I knew for sure I wanted it to have no resemblance to the dresses I wore as the Moon Princess and NeoQueen Serenity, but I had no clue what I wanted it to look like. Shaking my head, I buttoned up my shirt and slipped on a pair of shoes before I left my room and made my way down to the kitchen.

When I walked into the kitchen, two plates were laid out with food on them. Taking a seat at my normal spot, I glared at the glass of Alfred's nausea remedy that was beside my plate.

"I am not drinking that." I told Alfred firmly. He simply looked at me. We were locked in a stalemate for a few moments before Bruce came in. Taking a look at the plates, he immediately spotted the drink by mine.

"You're not going to drink that, are you?" Bruce asked me as he sat down.

"No, I am not." I told him, looking at Alfred as I did so.

"We shall see." Was all Alfred said as Bruce and I started to eat. We all took part in some small talk, and by the time breakfast was over, I heard all the trials and tribulations of the Delane's marriage, and how it was a miracle they made it to 50 years. Getting off the stool, I smiled at Alfred and then looked at the drink.

"I told you I was not going to drink that."

"I knew you weren't, Miss Serena." Turning around, he picked something up off the counter and turned back to me. In his hand was a glass of my favorite fruit smoothie. "That is why I made you this."

I could help but smile as I walked over to Alfred, got the drink, and gave him a hug. "Thank you Alfred." I told him as I gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"You're very welcome Miss Serena" He replied as we broke apart. Still smiling, I walked out of the kitchen through the door Bruce was holding open for me and made my way to Bruce's study.

"I was thinking that we could read some more from the book of poems you were reading from yesterday." Bruce said as we came to the study door.

"That sounds like a good idea." I answered as the door was again opened for me. I was surprised at the fact that I was acting so normally around Bruce. This was the man that I was in love with, and he returned my feelings. How could I, silly Serena, be acting so calmly.

Sitting down in my chair. I picked up the book from where I had laid it down yesterday.

"Actually, Serena, would you mind if I picked out a poem?" Bruce asked me, and by the way he said it, I knew that it was important to him. I nodded at him and passed him the book. He flipped it opened and took a look at the table of contents. Finding what he was looking for, he turned to the correct page and then passed the book back over to me. I noticed immediately that he was nervous, a far cry from the confident Bruce he had been just a moment before. Looking down at the page, I started reading.

"Come live with me and be my love,  
And we will all the pleasures prove,  
That valleys, groves, hills and fields,  
Woods or steepy mountains yields.

And we will sit upon the rocks,  
Seeing the shepherds feed their flocks  
By shallow rivers, to whose falls  
Melodious birds sing madrigals.

And I will make thee beds of roses,  
And a thousand fragrant posies,  
A cap of flowers and a kirtle  
Embroidered all with leaves of myrtle;

A gown made of the finest wool,  
Which from our pretty lambs we pull;  
Fair-lined slippers for the cold,  
With buckles of the purest gold;

A belt of straw and ivy buds,  
With coral clasps and amber studs;  
And if these pleasures may thee move,  
Come live with me and be my love.

The shepherds' swains shall dance and sing  
For thy delight each May morning;  
If these delights thy mind may move,  
Then live with me and be my love"

My voice simply trailed off at the end. I was completely unsure of everything at that moment. It was as if my whole world had been turned upside down. Knowing about feelings and actually having them acted own were two very different things. I couldn't bring myself to look up, but I knew that I needed to say something.

"Did I…" I stumbled for a moment, "Did I read it correctly?" To say I was nervous at that moment was an understatement. I believe my hands started to shake, because the next thing I knew Bruce was beside me, steadying my hands and helping me place the book back on the table. Looking at our intertwined hands, I turned my head and met Bruce's eyes.

"You read it beautifully." Bruce told me. The next thing I knew, our arms were around each other and we were kissing. Not the sweet, innocent kisses that Darien and I had always shared, but kisses with passion behind them. By the time we broke apart, both of us were standing up, wrapped up in one another. I leaned my head against Bruce's chest as I gasped for breath, and I felt Bruce run his fingers through my hair.

"_I heard you last night when you were talking with Alfred in the kitchen."_ I had no clue why I admitted that fact, it just seemed to come out without my consent.

"_I know." _He answered back, kissing the top of my head. _"I heard you go up the stairs to come back down."_ I looked up at him, expecting some type of anger, but all I found was peace. For a moment all the shadows that had constantly haunted his eyes were gone, and all I saw was happiness. _"The poem's request does hold true, I do want you to stay here."_ And while I knew that I should move out, that I should live on my own without being dependent on someone, I couldn't bring myself to do it. I felt more comfortable here with Bruce and Alfred than I ever felt back in Japan, and I didn't want to lose that. So I simply stood up on my toes and brought my lips up right in front of Bruce's, as if to kiss him, but stopped just before I did.

"_I guess we will be needing to find some shepherds herding their flocks to watch."_ I whispered against his lips, which quickly turned up in a big smile when he realized my answer. And while we began to kiss again, something was nagging me within my mind. What was it that Alfred told Bruce he would need to tell me about? And why was it the big secret of Wayne Manor? But at that moment, I didn't care. I was in love, and that was all that mattered.

* * *

**Serena read The Passionate Shepherd to His Love by Christopher Marlowe.**


	7. Only happens in my dreams

**_I hate this chapter. I really, really, really hate this chapter. Unfortunately, it was the only idea I had to bring up the Batman issue that panned out into a chapter. It was not the way I planned to go with the story, but it really isn't going to be that much of a part of it. However, it will come in handy when Serena needs to help Bruce in later situations._**

**_Now, before you read this chapter, I want you to go over to the LiveJournal (the link to it is set as my homepage in my profile) and take a look at what I posted. It will really help you get in the mood._**

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"Come here often?" The man asked me as he slid onto the barstool beside me.

"Excuse me? What do you mean come...?" It dawned on me in that moment that I was not in my bed at Wayne Manor, as I last remembered, but some place where jazz was being played by a live band and a soulful voice sang along to it. Turning away from the bar, I saw a club decked out to look like someplace out of the 1930s, and people dressed to match.

"It isn't decked out to look like someplace out of the 1930s, it is someplace in the 1930s" I heard the man say to me. I turned to stare at him in shock, how did he know what I was thinking? "I know what you're thinking, because I'm what you thinking… or dreaming as the case maybe." He pointed to the mirror behind the bar we were sitting at, and I saw that it no longer held the reflection of the club, but showed me in my bed. "See, you're snug as a bug in a rug, and all of this is just a figment of your sleeping mind… well, except for me of course." He added as he took a sip of his drink.

"But you said…" He stopped me before I could finish.

"Don't get worked up over the little details", he waved his hand as if to dismiss the very thoughts from my mind, "let's just say that I am something inside your head that was placed here after you gave up your powers as Sailor Moon and all that they entailed." He took another swig from his glass before turning and looking at me. "Have any questions?"

"I'm going crazy, aren't I?" He remained silent. "Why else would my mind be creating such a strange dream?"

"Because I helped it." He told me.

"Stop talking like you are some separate oddity!" I was becoming agitated, and my voice was rapidly getting louder and louder. "You are just part of my mind and nothing more!"

"Why is the idea that I am some other force then natural so hard for you to accept?"

"Because I left all of that back in Japan!" I screamed in a moment of frustration, which caused no reaction from the others in the club. "I have no special powers, no destiny to fulfill, and am no longer involved in saving the public from harm!" I was no longer screaming, but I still had a lot of force behind my words.

"Oh, that's where you're wrong princess, a term I use as one of endearment and not a reference to any past position, you are very much 'involved' with saving the public." He told me with a smirk. "Yes, involved is quite a good word to use…"

"What are you talking about? I barely ever leave Wayne Manor, which actually would be much safer if my clumsy self was not in it-"

"Quick question," He raised his hand in the classic "stop" gesture before lowering it again, "how many times since coming to Gotham have you suffered from this clumsiness you so lovingly referred to, other then the collision that caused you to meet Bruce?" My lack of an answer gave him a push to carry on. "And aren't you finding it much easier to learn English then you did in Japan?"

"That happens to be because I am working one-on-one with someone everyday for two hours!" I quickly answered, pleased to have an answer to one of his questions.

"Come on, you could have been working one-on-one every hour of the day with Shakespeare and you still wouldn't be half as proficient as you are now!" I had to admit that I often found myself questioning why I found the language I once struggled with so much easier to learn now. And, the more that I thought about it, the more I realized that I wasn't at all like the girl I was back in Japan. "I can tell by the stunned look on your face, and the fact I know your thoughts, that you are realizing that you aren't what you used to be. You've adapted, or at least are in the process of, to your new life here in Gotham. Do you really think that that can happen without the help of something greater?" The once smirking face was now serious. "You're never going to be alone Serena. We're always going to be watching over you, and while our help isn't always going to be easy to see, it's going to be there."

"I don't know what to say." I managed to get out after a few moments of silence. I was still finding it hard to believe that this was anything other then a dream, but it was becoming easier to accept. There certainly were a number of valid points raised, such as the vast improvement of my demeanor and intelligence, that couldn't be logically explained.

"Well luckily you don't need to say anything!" His jovial spirit was back, and in full force. "Good ole' Mac has enough to say to cover you!"

"Mac?" I looked at him blankly.

"That would be me princess." He pointed to himself as he said it.

"Would you stop calling me princess?"

"Whatever you want doll face, but you have much bigger things to worry about then my terms of endearment." He stated.

"Such as…"

"Your 'involvement' with saving the public, which you are denying." He took a sip of his drink, giving me time to break in.

"I'm denying it because there isn't any involvement."

"You're denying it because you don't know about it" He explained. "By they way, this is going to be one of the times where our help is subtle and involves you putting together clues we give you."

"You're giving me clues?" The incredulous look on his face showed me that he most certainly was giving me clues, and had been during our talk. Before I could ask anything else, he changed the subject to one that was, at the time, rather strange.

"So, what do you think about Batman? Nuts or a good guy? After all, you were a superhero for awhile; you have to have some thoughts on the new guy. How long has he been around, anyway? Six months or so… I really can't remember, you should ask Bruce, he came back right around the time Batman showed up." He finally paused for a moment as he took another drink, but before I hand time to formulate a response and say it, he had started again. "And I wonder why he went for the whole Bat-theme… he either must really like them or is scared to death of them. Personally," He leaned in closer to me, as if to share a secret, "I would go for something that scared me, so other people would get scared of it too." He leaned back up and looked at me expectantly, "Why aren't you saying anything?"

"Well, I don't see what the point is in talking, because you know what I'm going to say and even what I don't plan on saying." He nodded his head in agreement with my assessment. "And I can't really say anything, because you just keep talking and talking and talking."

"Yeah, that's because I wanted to say what I needed to say and then get out of this whole dream sequence thing. I'm getting rather bored of your mind." He explained.

"But I thought you… I don't know, lived in my mind"

"No… I just visit, and now visiting hours are over." He stood up and grabbed the hat I never noticed sitting on the bar. "I've got to go watch that Pirate movie with Johnny Depp, I feel so left out in conversations when people talk about it." He put the hat on his head and started to walk away. Before he got too far away, he turned back around and yelled out, "Hey, good job on mastering contractions! They're one of the hardest parts of the English language!" Then he snapped his fingers and everything went to black.

* * *

**_It's really bad, isn't it? God, I hate this chapter so much, and I'm sure you all did too. Let me know what you thought…_**


	8. Good morning America how are you?

**_I'm glad you all were honest about your thoughts regarding the last chapter. For those that didn't enjoy it, I hope that the upcoming chapters will restore some of your faith in me. For those that liked the chapter, and the character of Mac, I'm so glad you did. Mac is a figure that we will see more often and learn much about. _**

**_Oh, Moony, it's funny you should mention the Joker..._**

**_Remember, those words in italics are in japanese_**

* * *

I was still recovering from my strange dream as I walked down the stairs to the ground floor of Wayne Manor. I was so engrossed with my inner-thoughts that I failed to see Alfred standing in the middle of the foyer with a garment bag.

"Miss Serena," He called my name, causing me to notice him. "I believe your dress for Saturday's event is here." He lifted the bag to show it to me.

"They finished it already?" I asked, surprised at the speed which the tailor had managed to do the alterations.

"They tend to do things faster when Master Wayne is involved," Alfred explained to me as I walked up to him to take the bag and place it in my room. However, Alfred moved the bag so that I was not able to reach it.

"You don't need to take it Miss Serena; I'll go and place it in your room while you begin your breakfast. It's laying out for you in the dinning." He proceeded to walk past me and up the stairs. Shrugging my shoulders, I walked on into the dinning room, where I saw Bruce sitting at the head of the table, reading the morning paper. Looking up, he smiled at me and got up to hold out my seat for me.

"Why thank you." I told him sweetly as I sat down. Pushing in the chair, he leaned down so he was right next to my ear.

"You're welcome" He said before leaning back up and going back to his seat. Taking a sip from my glass of orange juice, I saw that Alfred had made pecan waffles this morning.

"I love these things" I exclaimed as I started to dig into the deliciously warm food. I heard Bruce laughing and I looked up at him, curious at what he was laughing at.

"You're eating like you haven't had a meal in years." He explained, still chuckling.

"You think this is bad?" I asked him, gesturing to myself eating, "You should've seen the way I ate back in Japan. You would've found that hilarious!" I told him.

"Hey, you used contractions in that sentence! Good job, they're one of the hardest parts of the English language." As soon as he said that, my mind flashed back to my dream where Mac said the exact same thing. I must have stopped laughing and eating at the point, because Bruce went from jovial to concern as I started to go over everything that had happened in my dream.

"Serena?" Bruce calling my name and his hand on my arm brought me back to reality.

"Hmm…" I looked at Bruce, noting the look on his face. "Sorry, I was just thinking about something… it's nothing." I said, waving away his concern. He didn't seem convinced, so I quickly improvised a reasonable explanation. "I was just… thinking about things back in Japan. How I was always yelled at for my appetite." I hated lying to him, but I didn't think that telling him I was having dreams where a strange man visited me claiming to have been sent to help me from something "other then natural" would be such a good idea. That would open up the whole "Sailor Moon" issue, and that was not something I wanted to deal with at the beginning of a new relationship.

"You really seemed to have had a hard time in Japan." Bruce said sympathetically, his hand that was once on my arm now intertwined with mine.

"It wasn't that bad, but at the same time it was," I couldn't think of what to say, as this was no where near the topic I thought I would be talking about. "You know, I really don't want to talk about this now. So many good things are happening in my life, and I just want to relish in them for now…" I looked at him, silently begging him to lay off the subject. Thankfully, he took the hint and nodded his head, agreeing to let the subject go for now. In what was a rather sweet move, Bruce shyly moved my hand up to his lips and gave the back of it a kiss before returning it to the table and letting it go. Smiling brightly at him, I reached for my silverware and gestured to the waffles. "It's time to be happy; I have waffles on my plate"

"Is that the only thing you have to be happy about?"

"Let me think…" Pretending to think for a moment, I looked at Bruce and said, "Oh there is this other thing…" I signaled him to move in closer to me, and when he was only a few inches away I spoke again, "I've got… a really pretty dress upstairs." I finished quickly, leaning back and laughing at the look on Bruce's face. He had obviously been expecting something very different then a comment on my dress.

"You're horrible" Was all Bruce said as he leaned back to his normal position. Smiling, I placed the piece of waffle I had just cut into my mouth. Rolling his eyes at me, he went back to reading the paper, and it was then that I caught a glimpse of the front page. It immediately grabbed my attention.

_"Can I see the front page please?"_ I asked, not thinking about the fact that I had reverted back to my native language. Bruce, while he looked at me a bit funny, handed over the paper and went back to reading the business section. I quickly read the headline, which stated that Batman had once again helped police bring to justice members of the local crime syndicate that had been plaguing Gotham for the past few months. The article itself was just a rundown of the events that had occurred during the major arrest, but it made mention of the fact that the overall crime rate in Gotham had declined in the past two years since Batman began patrolling the night sky.

I couldn't help but think that from the things Mac had said, I needed to do some research into the history of Gotham's Caped Crusader. Still focusing on the article, trying to pick out things that seemed important, I asked Bruce if I could use one of the computers later on. Again, I was speaking in Japanese when I said it.

_"Why are we speaking Japanese?"_

_"We're speaking in Japanese?"_

"I see we are back to Japanese again. What a pity, I was beginning to enjoy knowing what everyone was saying." Alfred said as he entered the dinning room from the kitchen with a plate with another waffle, which he placed on the table in front of Bruce. His entrance gave me a moment to replay in my head what I had been saying and, sure enough, it was in Japanese.

"I was speaking Japanese, wasn't I? Sorry, I got a little distracted and wasn't putting any thought into the language I was speaking." I explained.

"What had you so distracted?" For some reason, I didn't want to tell Bruce that it was the article on Batman that had caught my attention, but I couldn't come up with anything else. Looking at Bruce and Alfred's expectant faces, I glanced again at the newspaper and saw my saving grace.

"Elvis! I saw this article with Elvis in it and I just had to read it." Bruce and Alfred looked at me like I had grown a second head. "What? Elvis is very popular in Japan…the former Prime Minister happened to be a huge fan. Why are you two looking at me like that?" Bruce and Alfred soft of glanced at each other before returning to what they had been doing before.

"By the way, there is a computer you can use. I'll have Alfred bring up one of the laptops to your room. We have wireless internet, so feel free to use it anywhere in the house." Bruce told me. He went on to say that he was going to have to go into Wayne Industries for the morning, but that we would have time later to go over some things before the Delane's gala the next day. He was telling me the things he had to get done when the door from the kitchen opened.

"Master Wayne, there is a phone call for you in the study," Alfred said as he came back in the room. "It's from Mister Cohen at the bank."

"This is a call I need to take." Standing up, he looked at me and smiled, "I'm going to go on to the office after this, so I will talk to you later." He walked over and kissed the top of my head before he walked out of the dinning room with Alfred behind him. Feeling deliriously happy, I looked back down at my plate, ready to finish my waffle, when I saw that I had already finished it. Pursing my lips, I looked to the left of me to Bruce's untouched waffle.

"There's no use letting it go to waste," I muttered to myself as I moved the waffle to my plate and started to dig in. A few moments later, Alfred came back into the room.

"I thought I would prepare Master Wayne's waffle to eat in the car." He told me, heading towards where Bruce had been sitting. He stopped dead when he noticed that the waffle was not there.

"I… didn't want it to go to waste?" I embarrassingly asked. Alfred didn't say anything else, he just smiled and walked into the kitchen.


	9. Been searching so long

_**Sorry this took so long. I am just really worried about portraying the character of Bruce correctly. I am going on the idea that something has changed in Bruce since he met and fell in love with Serena. However, I hope to still show flashes of the Bruce we saw in the movies. That being said, I doubt this will be an angst-ridden Bruce in this story.**_

* * *

"I really wish that… Mac, I can't believe I am giving my delusions names, had given me more direction." I muttered as I closed the laptop after spending two hours searching for Batman information. While my brain was now filled with Batman trivia, I still couldn't figure out what the big connection was. Maybe it was time for me to replay the dream. Settling back into the pillows of the bed, I closed my eyes, ready to turn my mental theater on, when I was interrupted by a knocking at my door.

Setting back up, I called out for whoever it was to enter. The door opened to reveal Bruce, looking quite pleased with himself.

"Well someone is in a good mood." I said, returning the smile I saw on his face.

"Yes I am." He told me as he walked up to the bed and sat down beside me.

"And what has put you into such a good mood?" I asked him, easing back into the pillows again.

"Well, for starters," He began as he followed my motions, "Wayne Industries has landed a multi-billion contract with the US Government to build new security systems for public facilities." He told me.

"Congratulations" I lightheartedly threw into the conversation.

"Why thank you, after all, it was all thanks to me." He, obviously jokingly, replied. I couldn't help it, but I started to laugh hysterically.

"Why are you laughing?" Bruce asked.

"I'm sorry… but the idea that it was you that landed that contract," I had to pause because of my laughter, "is hilarious!" I managed to finish before losing it again.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He questioned in a voice filled with fake hurt.

"You're never at the office!" I exclaimed. "The only way you were entirely responsible for that contract is if you used mind control."

"Well now you know my secret."

We looked at each other before we both started laughing. It took us a few minutes to stop, but eventually we managed to return to sanity.

"So, what else has you in a good mood?" I prodded him to continue.

"Well… I finally have Rufus leaving me alone." He stated.

"Rufus? Who is Rufus?"

"Wayne Industries President of Public Relations. Unfortunately for me, he also tacked onto himself the title of Publicist for Bruce Wayne."

"And why is that bad?" I asked.

"He seems to think that the best publicity for me would be to get into a steady relationship, which I also think he never thought would happen. So picture the scene today when, after the board meeting, he cornered me asking about my date for the party." When he looked at me to see if I was interested, I simply raised my eyebrow in a signal for him to carry on. "Imagine his surprise when I stopped him before he could start on his list of suitable candidates and told him that I had already found a date for this event and all events in the future." Expecting a laugh from me, he was a little surprised when I was smiling rather coyly at him.

"I'm going to be your date for all events in the future?"

"Well, I thought that went without saying." He hesitantly said, not having the usually Bruce Wayne confidence.

"It is…but it's just really sweet to hear you say it." I was smiling at him, and he was smiling at me, and it was just one of those picture perfect moments that had to be too good to be true, except it was. I couldn't help feeling, however, that there was something obvious I was missing about him. Before I could dwell on it for long, Bruce said something that pulled me out of my mental pondering.

"We need to start talking about tomorrow." He told me.

"I'm going to need to make flash cards with people's pictures and names, aren't I?" I jokingly threw out.

"I already had Alfred make them" He said, pulling a stack of cards out of his back pocket. I looked at them for a moment, and then looked at Bruce.

"Is it too late to back out?"

* * *

_**OK, this isn't that long of a chapter, but it is a chapter! The next two are going to be much more important, more action-packed, and harder to write. But I think I will enjoy them more, and I think you will too.**_

_**Okay, little contest. First person to figure out the songs that the titles of the chapters come from will get a special surprise. Also, please go take a look at my new story, "I am Born New". I think most out you will like it.**_


	10. You better get this party started

_**I'm not even going to begin to give an excuse or reason for why you haven't heard anything from me in so long... I don't have one. Please enjoy the new chapter and please check out the new homepage I have. It has sets for what Serena looked like in this chapter, as well as how she looked after her haircut during that first meeting with Bruce. **_

* * *

"Would you just-"

"No"

"But I think it might-"

"No!"

"Just look at-"

"Bruce, I'm not looking at those damn flash cards one more time and you can't make me!" I yelled out in what was perhaps my biggest show of emotion in the entire time I'd been here. Bruce looked at me in shock for a moment, the worry that he'd really upset me easy to see on his face. Looking to defuse the situation, I stuck my tongue out at him before I leaned back into what was now my chair in the library and folded my arms across my chest. His lips curled up in a familiar grin as he placed the cards down on the table and raised his arms in defeat.

"Alright, you win… but if you embarrass yourself tonight, it's your own fault."

"Oh please, I've embarrassed myself enough in my life that it doesn't even faze me anymore." I told him, waving my arm dismissively at the suggestion. I glanced over to the clock and noted that I should start getting ready for tonight's gala, but was reluctant to do so.

"Expecting something?" Bruce asked as he noticed my shift in sight.

"Besides Doomsday?" Bruce laughed as I gazed back at the clock, "Actually, I'm guess I need to start getting ready for tonight's delightful proceedings." My voice was heavy with sarcasm as I considered the trial ahead of me. Normally the idea of being decked out and attending such a glamorous event would have had me dancing with joy, but the new Serena only saw the many ways it could end terribly for her and Bruce.

"If it makes you feel any better, I'm not looking forward to this either." He informed me as I got up from my chair.

"You know what? It really doesn't." I replied smirking as I stood next to his chair and smirked down. "It just makes me feel satisfied that you are going to be unhappy as I am." I leaned down towards him to place a kiss on his lips, but before I could, he had jolted up and swung me up into his arms. I started laughing as he looked at me.

"You're getting sassy now, huh?"

"Seems like I am." I muttered just before he kissed me. It was one of those kisses that made me realize just how much I would have missed if I had stayed back in Japan with the same people and the same boyfriend. Sure, Darien was a good kisser and a great boyfriend, but the relationship seemed doomed to remain at a childish level of devotion and adoration, never at a point where it would also become lustful and passionate. It was almost as if it was stuck in teenage status.

With Bruce, however, it seemed to be completely different. From the start, it has simply had more of a fire behind it, more passion. Kissing Bruce gave me the feeling of a fire starting within me, as well as making my heart flutter. I could see our relationship growing and maturing, like a fine wine.

Pulling away, I looked up at Bruce and smiled. "While that was very nice, I really do need to take a shower… so, do you mind putting me down?"

"Yes"

"Tough" I warned before I put my hands in his hair and ruffle it frantically. Very quickly, Bruce put me down and moved to fix the mess as I laughed. "Gee, do you use enough gel?" I joked as I faked wiping my hands on my jeans.

"Just go take a shower before I decide to retaliate, would ya'?" He glared at me, but I could tell he was joking by the look in his eyes. I saluted him half-heartedly before I made my way out of the library and up to my room.

* * *

The next few hours were incredibly hectic. Almost immediately after I stepped out of the shower, a woman named Greta who specialized in various forms of massage met me. Although I didn't really see the need for any type of treatment, I nonetheless, laid down on the equipment she had brought for what turned out to be an hour of heaven.

To say that I was ultra relaxed after the session would be an understatement. I quite literally had to be carried to the area set up in my bathroom for the hair and make-up people. I had to be instructed quite a few times not to fall asleep or keep moving my head, but by the time these two talents people were done, I looked like something that walked right out of a Vogue spread.

My blonde hair had been configured into a French twist with a few loose pieces hanging around my face, which happened to be accented by some fantastic make-up that made my blue-eyes seem more vibrant.

"I sure hope whoever is hosting this party you're going to is ready to be outshined!" The make-up woman, a twenty-something girl by the name of Ladonna joked as she and Erik, the hairstylist, smiled at me as I looked at my reflection in the mirror. We joked for a few minutes before the two of them helped me get into my dress.

The dress itself was amazing. A vintage piece, it was a strapless creation of tulle with appliquéd pink flowers and beads, rhinestones, and pearls. In it, I felt like someone straight out of a 50s movie, and worthy of being on Bruce's arm. I smiled as once again I was showered with compliment from the twosome as I slipped on my earrings, a pair I had found lying on my dresser with a note from Bruce to wear them. I fingered my neckline, feeling as if I should be wearing some sort of necklace, but seeing as there wasn't anything I had that went with the dress, and I shrugged it off.

Looking at the clock, I realized it was about time for me to be downstairs in order to head to the party. Once again thanking Erik and Ladonna, I quickly slipped into my gold shoes and put on the ring that had been with the earrings as well. Taking a step back, I looked myself over once again before I made my way out of my room.

Getting down the stairs proved to be one of the most nerve-racking moments of my life. I was confronted with numerous steps, heel-clad feet hidden by a dress, and a boyfriend waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs who I couldn't bear to have see me fall. Very slowly, I began making my way down with my hand securely on the banister.

I was focusing so hard on getting down the stairs safely, I almost didn't look to see how Bruce was reacting to my outfit. Looking up quickly, I met eyes with Bruce, who had an awestruck look on him face. Taking a chance on disaster, I turned around to look at what could be causing such an expression. When I didn't see anything, I looked back and saw that, as well as the look from before, he now had an amused smile on his face. It struck me then that I must be the reason for his awe, a fact that stunned me.

Reaching the final few steps, Bruce extended his hand to help me the rest of the way down. Once I was on the ground, I let go of Bruce's hand and did a spin to show off my outfit.

"Am I gala ready?" I asked, looking at Bruce for approval. The shining smile on his face and the way he pulled me in and kissed me gave me all the answer I needed. As I wrapped my arms around his neck, I could feel him place his hands on my shoulders and slowly slid them down to my chest.

"You know," He commented as he pulled away, "this neck seems awfully bare." Nervously, I moved my hand up to cover the area. Clever Bruce noticed my action and shooed my hand away, gesturing to Alfred behind him, and apparently being slipped something into his hands. "I think I have just the thing for it." Out from behind him came his hand, holding a black velvet case that he promptly opened.

I gasped.

For over a century, the necklace within the case had been a symbol of love and devotion the world over. Created with 18k gold and platinum, the necklace had five plaques of floral designs that alternated with a diamond and pearl between each one. The reason for the necklace's fame laid in the diamonds and pearls that featured so prominently in it. Originally, the jewels had been shipped to France by a French aristocrat that had commissioned a piece of jewelry to appease his wife who tolerated his numerous affairs with members of their household. Before the pearls and diamonds could be configured into anything, the French Revolution began and they were lost in the shuffle.

For almost a century these jewels floated around, changing hands numerous times and were never made into anything. It would have stayed that way too if the new wife of one Andrew Wayne back in 1887 hadn't been a member of the family that so many years ago lost the jewels. After hearing of her and her family's long-standing hope of finding the stones, Andrew had made it his mission to find them for her. At first, it had simply been a secret little undertaking, after all, as a Wayne, things had always come easily to Andrew. However, once the 1-year anniversary of the start had hit, he began to enlist other people, eventually causing the search to become a matter of public interest within Gotham. For almost a decade, updates on the case enthralled the Gotham people, and wives nagged their husbands to do something romantic like that for them. No one thought he would ever really find them, until one day Mrs. Rose Wayne was presented with a beautiful flower themed necklace that was made up from the once lost stones.

Now, staring at the necklace that hadn't been seen since the death of Martha Wayne, I was stunned by the very idea that I would now be wearing the necklace so many Wayne wives had worn before me. Looking at Bruce, I questioned if I really should be wearing this.

"Serena, I want you to wear it, therefore you should be wearing it. It's as simple as that." He told me as he went behind me and put the necklace around my neck. I felt him manipulating the clasp together to hold, and then place a kiss on my neck.

"Now, I believe we have a party to be getting too." He whispered in my ear.

* * *

Two hours later and I was ready to return to the Manor. Sure enough, the moment Alfred had pulled the limo into the driveway of the Delane home, the press focused all its attention on us. When I was able to get out of the car, holding the gift-wrapped box that contained the odd ivory & jewel figurine that Alfred had picked out for the Delanes, I could hear questions being thrown at us and flashbulbs going off. Bruce, the one used to all the attention, very easily took the lead and safely led me inside, which might have actually been worse than the outside. Immediately, people began to come up, starting with the Delanes themselves, asking questions and trying to get as many details as they could about the two of us. The necklace, as I expected, seemed to be the things that intrigued them most of all.

Right now, I was relaxing on the back balcony all by myself when I felt Bruce come up behind me. I knew it was him not only because of the cologne he was wearing, but also because I could just feel the atmosphere change as soon as he'd opened the door to come out.

"Well, almost done and nothing has gone wrong so far, has it?" He asked as he wrapped himself around me. Leaning back against him, I closed my eyes and rested them for just a moment.

"We've still got time to face disaster" I warned him, opening my eyes and smiling up at him.

"Serena, you have to stop worrying. Trust me, if anything goes wrong tonight, it isn't going to be because of you." Bruce told me, putting a reassuring kiss on my neck. "Now why don't we just go back into that party, say our good-byes, and go back home?"

Before I could get my words out, gunfire rang out from inside, along with screams and the voices of men ordering everyone down. I froze for just a moment, just enough time for Bruce to swing me up into his arms and race down the stairs that led from the balcony to the gardens below. My brain was running to slow to process what exactly was going on around me, but I very quickly found myself back in the limo, this time in the front seat with Alfred, speedily making our way back to the mansion, without Bruce anywhere in sight.

"Oh my God, where's Bruce?" I questioned as soon as my voice began to work. "Alfred, we have to do get Bruce!" I yelled at the man frantically, somehow noticing the strange black vehicle that zoomed past us towards the Delane home.

"Miss Serena, Master Wayne ordered me to take you home, and that is what I intend to do."

"But how can you leave Bruce behind! I thought you cared about him! How can you leave him there without any protection, and why would he even stay!" I was still frantic, but somehow my brain was slowly clearing up, allowing more of what had happened in the few minutes between the gunshots and finding myself in the limo to come to me. Just as Alfred assured me Bruce was very capable of handling himself, I remembered looking into the rear-view window of the limo as we had sped away, and seeing the figure of Batman running away from where we had just been, Bruce nowhere to be found.

Then it hit me.

Bruce was Batman.

Batman was Bruce.

The car I had just seen? Most likely the monstrous creation Batman was known to drive, somehow making its way to the party from somewhere on the estate.

The high-tech gear Batman always had? Things Bruce had "burrowed" from Wayne Industries, just like he had that frame.

More and more quickly, all the explanations, all the connection, began to rush into my head, overwhelming me to the point where I groaned aloud.

"Miss Serena? Are you ok?" Alfred asked, looking over at me briefly before turning his eyes back to the road.

"I just realized the two people I thought I could trust have been keeping one very big secret from me… so how do you think I am Alfred?" I challenged.

Alfred didn't say a word after that.


	11. I just heard the news today

_**Bear with me here folks, we got a lot of stuff to address before we get to the good stuff. **_

_** Ladies and Gentlemen, let me tell you what I did with the last chapter and why there hasn't been more story. What I did was write myself into a corner I still haven't gotten myself out of, and what you are seeing here is my attempt to get out of it by going into the ceiling... the problem with that is that I've left all my friends and family behind and would like very much to see them, but I need to find a hole to come down out of. What is the problem? Well, it's one I'm sure some of you might have realized, how can there be a Sailor Moon in the more realistic and natural Batman Begins/The Dark Knight universe that Chris Nolan created? To tell you the truth, I never got that far in the process... no, that's a lie, I looked over it in the process. I do know exactly what I want this story to have and to accomplish, but that doesn't include us ever seeing Serena as Sailor Moon again, or truly addressing the matter with Bruce/Alfred/basically anyone not a Sailor Scout or Darien. That was/is the point of Mac, to try to explain what happened to Sailor Moon. Now folks, I can write this story with the idea that I have in mind, but I want to know what you guys feel/think. What would you like to see? Should I roll with my idea, or do you really want the Sailor Moon issue to be completely addressed? If so, throw me some hints at how you would like it done.**_

_** Even though Chicago is the basis for Gotham City in the movies, it really doesn't work as the city's actual location, considering Gotham is supposed to have a seaside port. From the movies I almost get the feeling that Gotham City is located in its own state, considering it has its own license plate and area code. So, I've decided to roll with that idea for the story. The only important thing to note about the state is that it is small, basically only holding Gotham and a few suburbs, and is located roughly near Naval Weapons Station Earle and Sandy Hook Bay in New Jersey. It's about an hour-and-a-half from New York City.**_

_** One thing I'd like to point out is that Serena is telling this story from a point in the future, so her inner-dialogue might not be what you'd expect. **_

_** Oh, another thing! I'm thinking about running a contest for the best piece of fanart... things like YouTube vids or fanmixes or Polyvore sets or wallpapers/headers, just anything inspired by the story... seeing stuff like that gets me writing faster!**_

_**I do not own Sailor Moon, Batman, or anything related to the two. Some text is being borrowed from a Gotham Tonight viral marketing that was done for The Dark Night, which I do not own.**_

_**This chapter plays with a different form of telling the story. I've always enjoyed books that aren't just a straight narrative, but use other forms to tell the story. I hope you like it. **_

_**

* * *

**_

3 years and 4 months later

Aired October 21, 2010 - 01:00 ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

SUSAN MILLER, GCN ANCHOR: Welcome to another hour of GCN Newsroom, I'm Susan Miller. For those of you just joining us here, let me get you caught up to date on the breaking news that has everyone here in our newsroom smiling. Bruce Wayne has announced his engagement to long-time girlfriend Serena Tsukino saying in a statement released through The Wayne Family Foundation that they are 'absolutely thrilled' at the idea of spending the rest of their lives together. Nothing officially has been said about when or where the wedding will be, but we are hearing that a tentatively scheduled symposium by Wayne Enterprises on Wednesday, April 27th of next year was changed to later in the year this morning. We're joined now by our business correspondent Jeremy Lane, and Jeremy, this is not only a great thing for the couple, but also for Wayne Enterprises as well isn't it?

JEREMY LANE, GCN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: It is, Susan, it really is. This is Bruce Wayne finally settling down, finally showing everyone he is ready to take on some real responsibility, and that he's putting to bed the playboy antics that for so many years worried investors. Wayne Enterprises stock has already been going up since the announcement, and we're seeing companies with major contracts with Wayne getting a bit of a boost as well. And that just goes to show you that it isn't just Wayne Enterprises that is going to benefit from this wedding, but Gotham as a whole will as well. I mean, this is going to be a big wedding, this is going to be the society event of the year, possibly the decade, and that means a lot of money is going to be interjected into the Gotham economy.

MILLER: Well it certainly has been the case that when Bruce Wayne does something, he does it big, and I'm sure getting married isn't going to be an exception to that rule. Now Jeremy, am I right in saying that you're about to head over to Wayne Tower?

LANE: Yes Susan, we're going to head over there to get some of the reaction to the news from employees and maybe we'll even get a glimpse of the Groom-to-be. We do know that the board of directors had a meeting earlier today so we're hoping he might still be in the building and we can catch him on the way out.

MILLER: I'm sure you're going to run in to some happy people over there. Thanks Jeremy.

LANE: My pleasure.

MILLER: Well as Jeremy pointed out, this is a big society event and no one knows Gotham society like Katie Silver, editor of The Gotham Register and she joins us here now. Katie, I have to say, it's a day some didn't ever think would come.

KATIE SILVER, EDITOR, THE GOTHAM REGISTER: Well some people is really the right phrase to use, because for those of us society watchers we increasingly thought this might happen ever since Bruce stepped out with Serena at the Delane 50th Anniversary party back in June of2007 and continued to see her exclusively from then on out.

MILLER: That's right, they have been dating and living together for some time now.

SILVER: Well, for part of the time at least. We know she came to Gotham and started staying with Bruce about 3 months before the party, and from August of that year until about February of this year she was splitting time between Wayne Manor and a penthouse Bruce owned in New York while she attended Columbia University to get her Economics degree.

MILLER: And this was all on Wayne's dime, correct?

SILVER: We really don't know for sure, but I hesitate to go down this route because of the implication that Serena Tsukino is some sort of gold-digger-

MILLER: That wasn't where I was trying to take this at all.

SILVER: Well a lot of people will, and I will say that from what I can see and what I've always heard this has never been a case where Serena asks for anything, Bruce has just provided it without question. And at the end of the day, I think Serena provides Bruce with something that money can't which is the love, support, and stability that he's been missing since his parents were killed. I mean, this is somebody who hasn't really had anyone that can tell him no since he was 10 years old. His guardian, Alfred Pennyworth, who tried very hard to calm and control Bruce growing up, was at the end of the day still the family butler. But for a while now he's had Serena, who was very famously heard yelling at Bruce to slow down one day as he was zipping through the streets of Gotham and got into a very heated argument with him about his spending habits in the middle of an Armani store. We at the Register used to get stories in almost every day about some crazy thing Bruce did, but since Serena entered his life those stories are nowhere near what they used to be.

MILLER: And I think you just provided a very good explanation for why investors are really liking this day.

SILVER: Well they should really be liking Serena more than anything, because this could easily be a story of him marrying some model or socialite who enjoyed the bad behavior he was getting in trouble for before.

MILLER: Katie, you seem to be a big fan of Serena.

SILVER: Well I am Susan. I've had the pleasure of speaking to her a few times and she's a very sweet and smart girl who really cares a great deal for Bruce and wants to help him make his parents proud, which at the end of the day is very good news for Gotham. She reminds me a great deal of Martha Wayne to be honest.

MILLER: Let's switch topics now and focus on what everyone is sure to be thinking about, the wedding itself. What do you think we'll see from these two?

SILVER: I think we'll see a ceremony held at Wayne Manor, which has some amazing gardens and a very nice creek running through it. I think it will be big in terms of numbers, but probably very elegant, not ostentatious at all. I expect we'll see a Japanese influence in it, after all she is from there, and I bet there will be a lot of light colors with dark accents, which has been the sort of theme of their relationship, she brings the light to his sometimes darkness.

MILLER: Well Katie, you are always full of information for us and today was no expectation. Thank you so much for speaking with us.

SILVER: Thank you Susan.

MILLER: We just got here into our newsroom a statement from District Attorney Harvey Dent, who is a close friend of Bruce and Serena. Wayne was a major backer of Dent's campaign two years ago, and the couple hosted a large fundraiser for him and are reported to be the ones who introduced him to his girlfriend artist and Columbia professor Gilda Gold. The statement reads 'I could not be any more happier for my friends Bruce and Serena. They are a pair very much in love and I have nothing but the highest praises for the two. They do a great deal of good for this city and I have no doubt they will continue to do that as they enjoy their lives together. I think I speak for all of us in Gotham when I wish them the best of luck.' Some very nice words from our District Attorney and their good friend. Right now we're going to air a piece we did recently on Bruce Wayne that talked about him and by extension Ms. Tsukino. Afterwards we're hoping to have for you some words from members of the Wayne Enterprises board of directors. We're being told the meeting this morning started late and ran a little long so most of them are still at Wayne Tower, where our own Jeremy Lane should be soon. But let's go ahead and run that piece now.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LYDIA FILANGERI, GCN ANCHOR, GOTHAM TONIGHT: Bruce Wayne was born in 1975 to Thomas and Martha Wayne. He was born to a life of wealth and extravagance. It was Judge Solomon Wayne who commissioned architect Cyrus Patney in 1851 to construct Gotham's financial district. In the center of this district, a merchant house was opened under the name of Wayne Corp. Providing merchants with a variety of goods, the family business became a staple in the flourishing city, generating an endless stream of revenue. Despite the vast family fortune, though, his parents continued to work. His father operated the largest free clinic in the city, and used Wayne Enterprises to launch public works projects, like construction of the city's monorail system, while his mother became a community activist leader and part-time teacher in some of the city's most dangerous areas. Laraine Goldberg was a friend to the couple and worked alongside them in the community.

LARAINE GOLDBERG, COMMUNITY ACTIVIST LEADER: They were Gotham City's patron saints, for sure. The Waynes were not only two of my best friends, but they did so much for charity. And if I could nominate them for sainthood, I would.

FILANGERI: Their philanthropy inspired others into action, but just before they could completely help those affected by the ongoing depression, the unspeakable happened. Thomas and Martha Wayne were gunned down outside the Gotham Opera House in front of their 10-year-old son. As the last remaining member of the Wayne family, Bruce became the sole heir of the family's fortune, as well as the head of Wayne Enterprises. Custody of the boy was granted to the family's butler, Alfred Pennyworth, who tried tirelessly to calm his young master as he began to act out in response to his parents' demise.

When his parents' murderer cut a deal to testify against a Gotham city mob boss and was subsequently assassinated by an alleged mob hitman, Bruce Wayne disappeared without a trace for the better part of seven years. Various reports had him yachting around the Pacific, while others cited him living in Brazil, owning and operating a local modeling agency. But without any contact or proof of life from the billionaire, reports of his whereabouts dwindled, culminating in the declaration of his death by his trusted guardian, Alfred Pennyworth.

In his absence, Wayne Enterprises came under the control of William Earle, who initiated the flotation of the company. In the process of going public, though, Gotham got a big surprise, when Bruce Wayne resurrected himself from the dead, just in time to purchase enough stock to become the majority shareholder in the company.

Regaining his authority, Wayne secured himself a position as owner, while entrusting all the work and responsibility to CEO Lucius Fox, which many consider to be one of the smartest moves Wayne ever made. Bruce's return to Gotham seemed permanent, as he took up residence in his family's ancestral home, Wayne Manor. However, any thoughts of a newfound maturity quickly subsided, with the news of a drunken episode that resulted in the burning down of the palatial estate during a birthday bash. Homeless and forced to relocate, he found himself atop one of Gotham's luxury towers, in a two-story, 25,000-square-foot penthouse apartment, with 40-foot ceilings, two gigantic balconies, a parking space - for his helicopter - and a 360-degree-view of the entire city below. The price? Who knows? But the monthly maintenance fee alone was reported to cost around $31,000. The real perk was the location.

Over the course of the two years it took for Wayne Manor to be rebuilt, Bruce made appearances at all of Gotham's ultra-posh eateries, clubs, and lounges, creating a commotion wherever he went with a gaggle of gorgeous women in tow. By the time he returned to his rebuilt home, Wayne had been linked with numerous women, and his reputation as a permanent playboy seemed cemented. It was this reputation that worried stock analysts and business experts. His position as figurehead of his late father's company comes with great influences over the entire city, and fears were ripe that his antics could plunge Gotham into another depression.

That all changed, though, when he literally ran into Japanese-born Serena Tsukino at Gotham International Airport, and started down a path towards maturity. TSA Agent Maria Holt was there when it happened.

MARIA HOLT, TSA AGENT: So I saw Mr. Wayne walking through the airport, playing around on his Blackberry and not paying any attention to where he was going. And then I saw Serena, and she was reading her book and just looked overwhelmed by everything and she wasn't paying attention to where she was going either. And then I noticed that the two of them were about to crash into each other but before I could say anything - BAM - they hit each other and the papers went flying and she grabbed out to keep from falling and he grabbed her and the next thing I know they're standing in the middle of everything, just holding on to each other. Let me tell ya, with the way they were, I knew something was gonna happen between the two... and it wasn't just going to be a little fling.

FILANGERI: A fling it most definitely is not. Since that day at Gotham International almost 3 years ago, the twosome have been inseparable, and Bruce has turned away from wild nights out and too extravagant of spending, and has been focusing more and more on leading Wayne Enterprises and working to help Gotham City through The Wayne Family Foundation, one of the largest private charitable foundations in the world. And Serena isn't keen to just sit around and enjoy Bruce's riches, as she is currently attending Columbia University, studying for a degree in Economics, with many people saying that she intends on working for the Foundation once she graduates.

These days the parties Bruce Wayne is likely to be found at are more dignified affairs, usually charitable in nature. Although he has been showing signs of becoming more politically aware. Last year Wayne provided a major donation to Harvey Dent's campaign for DA, and Ms. Tsukino was instrumental in planning a fundraising event the twosome hosted for Dent, responsible for millions of dollars in donations from Gotham's elite.

It's hard to tell what the future may bring, but many people are betting that it is going to be good things for Wayne. With a beautiful and smart woman by his side, a maturity that seems to be growing by the day, and a company that just keeps getting better, the dark shadows of his past seem to be fading away from Bruce, which is without a doubt a very good thing... and what's good for Bruce Wayne usually proves to be good for Gotham. For GCN, I'm Lydia Filangeri.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MILLER: We'll have more on the engagement of Bruce Wayne right after a quick break. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

* * *

**_Don't worry folks, we are certainly going to cover these 3 year in coming chapters, once we all figure out how to treat the elephant in the room. We'll see how exactly Serena ended up at Columbia, how Bruce and Serena are doing under the pressure of living two lives, we'll explore Harvey Dent (I'll be borrowing from the comic book instead of the movie on this one, since I really don't want to deal with Rachel), and we will eventually get to The Joker. And everyone in Japan isn't just going to stay there, expect some visits from them._**

**_So Serena's engagement ring is a big deal... one I'm sure you all would like a hand in picking, so here is a poll with a bunch of options that I hope has the PERFECT one in it. Here is the link (Just remove the spaces)._**

**_tiny . cc / rj1se_**

**_If you're having trouble with it, the links will be in my profile._**

**_I have another Sailor Moon story I'm working on again, I've mentioned it before, it's called "I Am Born New" and I'm going to be working on it as well. I'll be doing some audience participation for that one in the form of polls, so I'd love if you all would read the story and answer the questions I have for it. Here are the links to the polls I'm running at the moment. (Just remove the spaces as before)_**

**_tiny . cc / lqla0_**

**_tiny . cc / z1fva_**

**_tiny . cc / o2bax_**

**_If you're having trouble with them, these links will also be in my profile, which also has a bunch of fun stuff for this story as well._**

**_By the way, thank Prince William and Kate Middleton for this story starting back up. If they hadn't got engaged, I wouldn't have been able to come up with the idea to get the ball rolling again! Oh, and the other story was always going to have a Prince in it, this news didn't cause it. _**

**_I'm going to be going back through the story and fixing errors I've seen in previous chapters and to fix some of the notes I left in them, so if that sends out alerts and stuff, I apologize._**

**_I'm still looking for a beta, if anyone is interested._**


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